Feeder for comminuted materials



Nov. l0, 1931. c. P. HARRIS FEEDER FOR COMMINUTED MATERIALS Filed sept. 9. 19:50

|NvENTon ATTO RN EYS Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES CLINTON I. HARRIS, OF ALIENA, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO HURON INDUSTRIES INCL,

OF ALPENA, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION MICHIGAN 'i i "f' FEEDER non COMMINUTED' MATERIALS Application med september 9, 1930.l s'n'al no; fnse'zlsrf.v f

The present invention pertains to a novelfeeding mechanism of a' type applicable to kilns, hoppers or practically any type of machine into which comminuted materials are to be fed.

The primary object of the present invention is to devise a feeder having two opposed screws which prevent `flushing` of comminuted materials from a hopper which is opened directly above a pair of opposed conveyor screws. The comminuted materials are received by the opposed screws as they leave the hopper and carried to a central chamber or feeder box having an overfioW compartment and pipe vents to'allow for the escape of air.' Located in the lower portion of the central chamber is another screw which receives the material and conveys it to a feed pipe which directs the material to a kiln or Aany machine to which the present feeding mechanism is applied.

With the above and other ends in vieyv the invention consists inthe matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure il. is a longitudinal cross sectional View of the present feeder;

Fig. 2 is a transverse cross sectional view, and

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 53- 3 of Fig. 1. v

Like characters of 'reference are employed throughoutrto -designate the. corresponding parts. A

The numeral 1 indicates a hopper for receiving various kinds of eomminuted materials, the hopper being formed with angular walls converging together towards the lower end. Bolted 'to the lower 'end of the hopper is a casing; 2 which is formed vvith a pair of conveyor troughs 3 and -i and a central opening 5. Above the opening 5 is provided an overflow and Ventilating,r compartment 6 equipped with pipes or tubes 7 which extend upwardly adjacent the top of the hopper.

Bearingr members 8 are provided in cach end of the casingI I, .to support a `shaft 9 on which the opposed screws 10 and 11 are d* formed. One of the outer euds of the shaft 9 alpi-@vided with a 'gear' 'wheel' 1'2' which jig i driven in ay manner presently to be described.

'I he member 3 is supported upon a suitable base l''which closes the lower end ofthe openl ing 5 to formafeeder` box 14, agate 15 *being provided to vclose or open. the opening A5I to regulate the amount ofcomminuted material passing from the opening to the feeder box 15,'a shut-off rate also being providedfto env-fI tirely prevent the material'from passing from the hopper to the feeder b ox Whenthe device is not in operation. i A conveyor'tube16opens into the side of thev feederbox l15 and alscrew conveyorA 17 is received inthis'tubc, .the conveyor being formed rWith a `shaft lShaving one end received in the bearing 19 mounted in the distriljmtorbox 20. 4The opposite end of th'efshaft l8 is received. in a bearing 21 mounted in the sideof the feeder 'box1`4,.' A cou-- pling'l sleeve 22 .couplestheshaftlS to a' stub shaft 23 uponwhich ismounteda gear'xvheel 24 which meshesl with the gearvvheel 12.`tli`e numeral 25 indicating a. clutch member Ywhich isl connected to any suitabledrive.

r The feeder" box is provided with a vbaille 25"` Which'providcs resistance tothe jiioiv of the con'n'uinuted materials through the tube 'ldand with an opening in the bott-om wall thereof conneetedfby a tube 26 tothepipe27 which 'leads the.,y kiln or machine to whichl the com'minuted nmiterials, are to be fed."V

.v vIn 'operation the yclutch member v25 is driven by any suitable power plant fand thereby rotatesbothgears 251 and 1 2,v it beingobserved that the l:rear 24 is approximately half the'diameter of the gearA 12 and therefore the screw-17 rotates'approximately att'yvice' the rate of speed as the screws 10 and 311. The screws 10 and 11 .when rotated convey the vcnnminuted materials from the hopper 1 into the opening and When the gate 15 is opened the materials fall into the feeder box,

14. From the feeder box 14 Vthe screw 17 conveys the materials tothe distributingbox 2O Where thel materials pass over the baille 25 to fall through the tube 26 into the feed pipe 27 which leads to .a kiln or furnace. Inspee tion plates 28 are provided in the .sides ofthe feeder box 2O in order that the flow of material can be observed at intervals to determine as to Whether the machine is functioning properly or not.

Although a 'specific embodiment of the present inyention has been illustrated and described 1t is to be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction Without departing from the spirit of the invention, and such changes are contemplated.

What I claim is:

1. The combination With a hopper for containing comminuted materials and a distributor box into which said materials .are to be fed, of a feeder box beneath said hopper, a pair of opposed screw conveyors forcing the materials from said hopper into said feeder box, and a screw conveying said materials lfrom said feeder box` into said distributor 2. The combination with a hopper for containing comminuted materials, of a feeder box beneath said hopper, opposed screws conveying the material from said hopper into said feeder box, a distributor box, and means for conveying the materials from said feeder box to said distributor box.

3. The combination with a hopper for containing comminuted materials and a distributor box into which said materials are to be fed, of a feeder box beneath said hopper, an overflow compartment equipped with ventilating pipes, a pair of opposed screw conveyors forcing the materials from said hopper into said feeder box, and a screw conveying said materials from said feeder box into said distributor box. Y

4. The combination with a hopper for containing comminuted materials, of a feeder box beneath said hopper, an overfiow compartment connected to said feeder box and equipped with Ventilating pipes, opposed screws conveying the material from said hopper into said feeder box, a distributor box, and means for conveying the materials from said feeder box to said distributor box.

5. In combination, a hopper, a feeder box beneath the hopper and having an outlet, an overfiow compartment mounted in the feeder box and having a vent opening, and a conveyor arranged below the overflow compartment for discharging material from the hopper through the outlet.

Intestimony whereof I affix my signature.

CLINTON P. HARRIS. 

